Land Cruiser Prado - Contributed

Automotives was invited by Toyota Jamaica sales guru Howard Foster to be a part of their second TJAM 4x4 off road excursion on July 18. The journey would take us from the Hope Botanical Gardens to the fabulous and breathtaking Cinchona Botanical Gardens in the hills of St Andrew.

Prior to leaving, a short meeting was held to brief the drivers about the dos and don'ts of driving off-road. A total of 15 Toyota SUVs were on hand from the little Diahatsu Terios and the RAV4, to the not-so-new Hilux. There was also the new Hilux Vigo, the Prado and two Tundras. The 2008 $16 million mega V8 Land Cruiser was also present.

Toyota Jamaica Managing Director John Connell was the driver for this baby and he was there to show the vehicle's mettle. Other notables on hand who were willing to show their skill were former banker Aubyn Hill and his wife Tamara, who are no strangers to off-roading. Hill has lots of experience driving the desert of the Kuwait and Oman in the Middle East while working there for 12 years, and this his is first 4x4 excursion in Jamaica. Also present was service manager for Toyota Jamaica, Tom Connor. (Tom Connor came to Automotives rescue when we were testing the Prado and got into difficulties in the sands of Palisadoes).

kick-off time

Our journey got under way at 10 a.m. The distance to Cinchona is 30 kilometres and I was driving the last Prado in the convoy which, by the way, was carrying the food. Toyota Jamaica pulled out all the stops to make sure that all persons were properly fed. The journey took us through Papine, Gordon Town, Roberts Field, Halls Delight, and Mavis Bank.

The true test was yet to come. We came off the main and headed on to a dirt road and there the hills showed us that they were not going to be conquered easily. As we drove, we went higher and higher. Some turns couldn't be made with one turn. The 4Low gear was engaged to deal with this terrain and at some points the gradient was way over 20 per cent. On this terrain, a 2wd vehicle couldn't stand a chance. But the Prado held its ground and at one point I saw 4000rpm on the tach gauge and not a worry.

With less than a kilometre to go, the route got steeper, only one vehicle in the convoy encountered a bit of a difficulty, but with a quick fix we were soon off again. At the entrance of the gardens was a white 1980 FJ40 Land Cruiser. It was bit of a rust bucket but lots of enquiries were made if was for sale, but the owner said no. On seeing a Toyota like that one, it goes to show the strong heritage and lineage that Toyota has in making 4x4.

At the stroke of noon we finally made it in the green and lush Cinchona Botanical Gardens, which has a spectacular view of the Blue Mountain Ridge. We were at an elevation of 5000ft above sea level, and the garden was established in 1868. The TJAM 4x4 were gracious host in providing food and refreshments. Toyota Jamaica has proven and shown that its brand is a cut above the rest. I spoke with a few persons who drove up the trail and they were all commenting on how capable the Toyota 4x4 was. One driver even came from as far as Negril just to be a part of TJAM.

the descent

I spoke with former banker and now CEO of Corporate Strategies, Aubyn Hill, and spoke highly of the Land cruisers and gave them two thumbs up for their grace and reliability, especially since he drove one. As evening came we packed up our gear and headed on down the mountain. the descent, too, was just as challenging as the climb. Selecting a lower gear ratio was the best option on the descent and the brakes were used a lot but the ABS worked well. We all came down well and all in one piece without any problems.

TJAM 4x4 trip to Cinchona was a hit and I knew how hard they had worked.

Howard Foster and his hard-working team will be pulling out all the stops to make the next trip more exciting and challenging, and they will live up the company slogan - Today, Tomorrow Together.